Salvation Army gets new victim services vehicle

The Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre will be able to help out the victims of fire and disasters for years to come, thanks to a donation by the city of Ottawa and the Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters Association.

The city gave the organization a decommissioned ambulance that was retired from its fleet, while the association donated $5,000 to help revamp it.

The ambulance will be present at fires, emergencies and disasters and acts as a place where a person can go for a little bit of comfort when it seems as though their world is falling apart.

"When people are watching their homes be destroyed or whatever, they need a quiet place to go and be safe, be warm and be comforted," said Sean Maddox, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army Ottawa.

"The residents of a home would be taken into the ambulance - or victim services vehicle now, and they're given whatever they need," Maddox added.

They offer seating, blankets, coffee, even toys for children.

The ambulance replaces the Salvation Army's last vehicle, which was at the end of its life span.